Comments Off on Momentum brings a psychedelic show of light and color to Vivid Sydney

A dynamic show of light and color has touched down in the land Down Under. As part of Vivid Sydney , the city’s annual light, music, and ideas festival, Australian artists Stephanie Shehata and Erin Slaviero created Momentum , a collection of three vertical freestanding portals that explore the relationship between light, material, form and speed. Viewers can interact with each portal by spinning a wheel that transforms the installation into a moving kaleidoscope of color and reflection. The installation is on view from 6PM onwards every day in Walsh Bay until the end of Vivid Sydney on Saturday, June 18. https://vimeo.com/168824671 + Momentum The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat ? Send us a tip by following this link . Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

Comments Off on Gabion walls and recycled steel panels for an outstanding green home in Texas

The house comprises a series of interconnected modules stretching from the front porch to the garage. Two outdoor patios demarcate different functions, with the entry patio acting as a covered porch. The second one separates the main living area, including the kitchen and dining room, from the study, children’s room and utility spaces. It can also be used for outdoor grilling and connects the powder room with the swimming pool . Related: Casa Gavion Uses a Breathing Gabion Wall To Keep Cool in Baja, Mexico The roof of the elongated volume is clad in recycled corrugated steel panels with a weathered finish. Together with a visually dominant gabion wall, which shelters the pool area from outside views, it acts as a modern interpretation of some of the iconic elements of the Texas vernacular , and a beautiful example of critical regionalism. + Buchanan Architecture Via Archdaily Photos by James F. Wilson

Comments Off on Continental Tire looks to dandelions for a more sustainable tire

Spring, it seems, has come and gone in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and with it, the ubiquitous dandelion . The tenacious ” weed ” provides one of the earliest food sources for bees emerging after winter’s end and dots the early spring landscape with color. Used for food and wine , the dandelion can also be a natural source for rubber. While the rubber tree is the traditional plant used to manufacture rubber, the roots of a specific Russian variety of dandelion also contains the natural latex material used to manufacture tires. Continental Tire hopes to harness the dandelion’s latent ability to produce a more sustainable type of tire. Dandelions could prove to be advantageous over rubber trees in several key ways. The yellow perennial grows in poor soil , which allows it to be cultivated without displacing food crops from arable land. Its hardiness in cold climates allows the plant to be grown along a wide range. While the harvest and transport of rubber from trees is energy intensive, the shorter distance from dandelion field to factory to consumer would reduce the carbon footprint of the raw material. Dandelions can also be harvested within a year of planting, while rubber trees require seven years before they begin to produce latex. Related: Dutch Biotech Firm to Make Car Tires From Hybrid Dandelion The scientists leading the project were awarded the prestigious Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for their groundbreaking work. Continental Tire aims to roll out its dandelion rubber tire over the next five to 10 years. The company is currently testing its tire design to produce a high-quality product that also reduces vehicle vibration. If Continental Tire is successful with its mass production of dandelion tires, it could have a significant positive environmental impact on the rubber industry. Via CNET Images via Coen Dijkman / Flickr and Flickr